Conveyor cover



June 22, 1965 E. E. EHINGER 3,189,926

CONVEYOR COVER Filed April 5. 1961 INVENTOR.

Amaaz.. WM Kimm United States Patent O 3,189,926 CONVEYOR COVER Eldon E. Ehinger, Box 431, Fairfax County, Va. Filed Apr. 3, 1961, Ser. No. 100,322 3 Claims. (Cl. 14-1) This invention relates to a self-operating crossing-cover for wheeled vehicles over conveyor belts and their like.

The primary object of this conveyor cover -is to provide the means by which wheeled vehicles and conveyances, such as automobiles, trucks, fork-lifts, wheelbarrows, etc., can cross moving sidewalks, conveyor belts, endless trains and their like Without having to interrupt the respective movements of either, nor obstructing the clear use of said conveyor, except during an actual vehicle crossing.

Another object of this invention is to provide this means in a .simple and positive lfast acting design that will present an unobstrusive, smooth and safe silhouette [at all times.

These and other incidental objects will become apparent in the drawings, specifications and claims forming a part hereof, and wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which;

`FIGURE 1 is a plan View of .a single unit of the conveyor cover in a retracted position.

FIGURE 2 is a side sectional view taken substantially along line Z-2 of FIG. 1.

FIGURE 3 is a side sectional View of said unit in its extended and conveyor covering position.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional plan view taken substantially along line 4-4 of FIG. 2 and also shows the related positions of the operating components when said unit is extended and operative as in FIG. 3.

FIGURE 5 is an end sectional view -taken on line 5 5 'of FIG. 3.

Referring more speci-iically to the 4drawings and whereas each unit of the conveyor cover Z2 shall have a cradling main rigid frame conforming to the size and shape of that particular conveying medium over which it has been designed to operate. A base member underlies the conveyor cover Z2 and main fname 10. The main frame It) is supported by the base Ztl in a suitable manner.

Hinged from each extremity of this said base 20 at pivot 6 is a strike tread 12 that is held to its maximum inclined position Iby a slidably based connecting plate 18 and tension springs 13, joined with it respectively at pivots 9 and 6. Each of these said strike treads then have and are |hinge joined at pivot 7 to `a ramp tread 1'4, which in turn are then also hinge joined at pivot 8 to cover treads 16, thus forming two series of folded and withdrawn treads, as shown in FIG. 2, opposing each other from opposite sides of the conveying medium to be covered.

In FIGURE 4 I show pivotly connected to the slidable base of each aforesaid connecting plate 18 at pivot 3, a connecting bar 15, that in turn is also pivotly joined to a mutual turn-table 17 situated at mid-point between said opposing treads under the cradled conveying medium. The turntable 17 is disposed between the base 20 and the main frame 16 and is supported by the ba-se 20 in a suitable manner.

IIn FIGURE 5 I show how each said cover tread 16 has mounted to its underside, rollers 11, rotatable about axes transverse to the conveying medium for the reduction of friction as crossing weight .is applied to the cover treads 16 which causes rollers `111 to rollingly engage the moving ice surface fof the conveying medium. In this regard the said cover tread has not been designed to support the crossing weight from oif the conveying medium, as various known methods of underneath support for conveying mediums at these points of additional stress can be instituted, but to afford the crossing weight or wheel a stable sur-face over which to roll without contacting the transverse motion of the covered conveying medium.

-In operation these said single units would be installed in multiples to attain any desired width for crossing. Then as either strike tread of any unit is struck inward and downward by the wheel of a vehicle attempting to cr-oss the conveying medium, it shall unfold and extend its ramp and covering treads inward sufficient to partially cover the conveying medium, while `also -forcing its connecting plate and connecting bar inward and around the mutual turn-table. This turntable thereby transfers these exact movements lin reverse to each twin component and tread from the other side of the conveying medium to amply cover and `afford a stable surface, at that point, upon which the lstriking Wheel can roll during its actual crossing.

As a safety feature, the striking tread T12 with its protruding lower lip, tension springs 13 and connecting plate 1'8 have been so arranged to require a maximum striking force, initially, to unfold and extend the covering treads operatively over the conveying medium. Once unfolded and extended this arrangement then allows for a minimum force to continue holding said treads in this operative position, until the nal departure of the crossing weight or wheel from oif either striking treads lower lip, and thereby tripping said arrangement back into an inoperative and out lof the way position.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the mechanism will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary, however, since numerous modification-s and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it Iis not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as rnew is:

1. In combination with a conveyor, a frame cradling `said conveyor and having lateral surfaces on each side of said conveyor, said conveyor and lateral frame surfaces lying in substantially the same plane, a cover tread laterally -slidable on each of said lateral frame surfaces and adapted to overlay and be supported by said conveyor', a base supporting said frame and extending laterally of the frame and below said lateral frame surfaces, a strike tread pivotally attached `at each end of said base and extending upwardly therefrom and above said cover treads, and a ramp tread pivoted to the upper end of each of said strike treads andthe outermost end of each of said cover treads, and means connecting said strike vtreads to move them toward or away from said conveyor in unison whereby force on one of said strike treads will move said cov-er treads laterally over said conveyor in unison.

Z. The combination -of claim 1 wherein said cover treads have rollers mounted on the underside thereof for engagement with the conveying surface when a crossing force is applied to the `strike treads.

3. The combination of claim 2 including spring means interconnecting the strike treads biasing the strike treads to a retracted fold-ed position for retracting the cover 3 4 treads when no crossing force is applied to the strike 2,831,448 4/58 Suderow 268-1() ytreads or cover treads. 2,917,017 12/59 Stransky 114-202 2,974,336 3/61 Ke11ey 14-71 References Cited by the Examiner 2,996,032 s/61 MacNaught 114-202 UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 3,045,632 7/62 Stransky 114-202 657,347 9/-00 Homan 268-62 X FOREIGN PATENTS 663,484 v1.2/00 Bevans 14-43 491,059 2/54 Italy, 1,262, 30 -4/18 D' 14-71 X 1,847,364 .3/32 ,Blzer 262% 62 JACOB L. NACKENOF'F, Pfl-1716173 Exlle. 2,753,827 7/56 Sabin 16o-118 10 SAMUEL LEvrNE, Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A CONVEYOR, A FRAME CRADLING SAID CONVEYOR AND HAVING LATERAL SURFACES ON EACH SIDE OF SAID CONVEYOR, SAID CONVEYOR AND LATERAL FRAME SURFACES LYING IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME PLANE, A COVER THREAD LATERALLY SLIDABLE ON EACH OF SAID LATERAL FRAME SURFACES AND ADAPTED TO OVERLAY AND BE SUPPORTED BY SAID COMVEYOR, A BASE SUPPORTING SAID FRAME AND EXTENDING LATERALLY OF THE FRAME AND BELOW SAID LATERAL FRAME SURFACES, A STRIKE TREAD PIVOTALLY ATTACHED AT EACH END OF SAID BASE AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY THEREFROM AND ABOVE SAID COVER TREADS, AND A RAMP TREAD PIVOTED TO THE UPPER END OF EACH OF SAID STRIKE TREADS AND THE OUTERMOST END OF EACH OF SAID COVER TREADS, AND MEANS CONNECTING SAID STRIKE TREADS TO MOVE THEM TOWARD OR AWAY FROM SAID CONVEYOR IN UNISON WHEREBY FORCE ON ONE OF SAID STRIKE TREADS WILL MOVE SAID COVER TREADS LATERALLY OVER SAID CONVEYOR IN UNISION. 